Descent

Chapter 2 ~ Unexpected Visitor.

"Can you at least consider it?"
Jim practically begs and I apply all my focus into typing out my incident report from yesterday.

The station is a cramped, mostly outdated building with only one floor. The front is the waiting room and reception, directly behind that section are our daytime cells which leave little to the imagination and then directly behind that is our office space.

Jim and I share a desk and thankfully the both of us keep it neat and tidy. However with Jim's years of experience things like paperwork rarely concern him and he can finish a detailed report in minutes.
I however am still mastering the art and my eyes squint as I re-read a sentence for the twelfth time.

"It's nothing fancy! Just a quick barbecue with my family." I reach up and tighten my hair-tie to delay my answer.

My red locks now reach midway down my back, not through rigorous hair care and formula's but from sheer lack of desire to upkeep my appearance. Getting a haircut would require someone paying attention to me, someone caring for an aspect of me and I don't deserve that.

"Jim, they are your family. You don't need your work colleague there to protect you." I quip and Jim let's out a hearty chuckle and takes a sip out of his coffee, black with two spoonfuls of sugar.

"I don't need protecting. You need socialising!" I scoff and pause writing, swivelling in my chair and pin Jim with a playful glare.

"This just sounds like an elaborate plot to marry me off to your folklore son, that I'm still not certain exists."
I tease and this earns a full blown laugh from Jim.

For the past year he's been dropping hints of his son and I'm not naive to what he's doing.
He's painted his son as a respectable, successful cruise ship worker who is never home due to work.

I was shown a grainy photo of him when he was a teenager and I wasn't convinced that he would live up to his Fathers unlimited praise.

He did have lovely brown eyes though that danced at the camera.
It also just so happens that this weekend his son will be anchoring and staying for a few months much to his families pleasure.

"You can bring some of your own family as well.." Jim tries to convince me but his words fall short as a hooded expression covers my gaze and I turn back to the keyboard.

"I'll think about it Jim." I mutter out and reach over for my headphones, my eyebrows scrunched together to keep my emotions in check.

"I-I'm sorry Katherine... When was the last time you visited them?" Jim tries to question but I pretend I don't hear him and slide my devices into my ears.

My Mother passed away from lung cancer a year ago, I went to her funeral but I didn't cry.
I wanted to, if only to stop the worried glances from my family but not a single drop fell.

My father left prison two years ago but I have refused to see him, I'm too scared to pick up my phone to private callers in case it's him.
He's just another name on my unforgivable list.

The ones that truly hurt to not see are my loving Uncle and young cousin Flynn.

Flynn is fourteen now, a crucial time as a teenager but I keep our relationship strictly to phone calls once every few months or so.
Seeing him hurts too much, he looks so much like his sister.

My Uncle is also dangerous to talk to, out of everyone I find that my Uncle understands how I'm feeling the best because he feels the same guilt of not protecting Dana and that's scary.

So I stay alone.

I don't date, I don't make friends, I don't even go out for meals.
I remain safe, stifled and isolated.